Piano midterm is over! Yay! It was so creepy. I went into the teacher's office and it had like these two gigantourmous pianos in there. It kind of scared me. Ha. Sorry. I guess people think I'm really weird now.
This story is really, really getting down to the end. I have really, really loved writing for this couple though. It's challenging-in a good way. Would you guys be interested in me writing another story about them? 'Cause I can totally stick to writing Finchel-they're super easy to write for. =P
Disclaimer: Don't own.
He felt like shit to put it nicely. His neck was sore from the way he had been holding it up during what little sleep he had gotten. He didn't know what time it was. He knew it was still early, or late, depending on how it was looked at. He sighed when he heard the brunette tossing and turning again. She had been restless all night. He had been compelled to crawl into bed with her numerous amounts of times just so that he could hold her and tell her it would all be okay.
She immediately shot out of the bed and rushed to his bathroom. He listened with a heavy heart as she emptied her stomach's contents into the toilet. He had hoped he wouldn't have to be around to see all of that happen. He knew it would only get worse though. Jake had told him about the excruciating pain of it all. He didn't think it was physically possible for the petite girl to endure any more hurt. He stood up from his chair and walked into the bathroom to find said girl writhing in the floor. "Rachel, honey, come on," he cooed while lifting her into his arms. Her skin was slightly clammy against his. He slowly carried her back into his room and lay her gently on the bed.
"Thank you, Jesse," she whispered before dozing back off to sleep. He grabbed his cell phone off the dresser and sighed. It was 3:54. He had a feeling Jake wouldn't appreciate being awoken but to hell with it all, he decided. He dialed the number again and smiled lightly when the boy picked up on the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Jake, I'm sorry if I woke you," he added for safety measures.
"I wasn't asleep. Is she alright?" Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose with the free hand not holding the phone. He didn't know what she was. Obviously she wasn't too bad off yet.
"Maybe I should let her use some of that shit one more time. Jake, I got online to read up about it. I knew it was bad from what you told me, but you spared me some details." Jake laughed slightly but it was full of sarcasm. "I don't want to have to see her do all of that stuff. If I let her take some more she'll be okay until we can get her to a rehab, right?"
"I guess," Jake added. "Do you really want to do that though?"
"No." Jake nodded into the darkness of his own apartment. "Can you come over for a moment? You can tell me how much longer you think she has until something bad happens?" Jake sighed but Jesse knew his friend. He knew he would come. There was no doubt in his mind.
"I'll be right over, man," he replied before hanging up. Jesse dropped his head and covered his face with his hands. He allowed himself to cry because really? He thought he deserved to get to.
Fifteen minutes later Jake let himself into Jesse's apartment. He watched as Jesse slowly stepped out of his bedroom and looked at him. He could tell just by the way Jesse was standing that any resolve he had managed to keep up was slowly crumbling. "I don't know what to do," Jesse sobbed before throwing himself into his friend's arms. Jake hugged the man tightly, knowing it was what he needed.
"You're doing fine, man." Jesse pulled away and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. "Have you told Jessica yet?" Jesse quickly shook his head. "You love her."
"Jessica?" Jake shook his head. "Rachel?"
"What other girl do you talk to?" Jesse rolled his eyes. It was true though, he realized. "Was I right?"
"What do you mean?" Jesse quickly responded. "Were you right about what?" Jake followed Jesse into the kitchen.
"Rachel being your soul mate," he stated. Jesse smiled to himself despite the current situation before looking up from the drinks he was pouring to Jake. "I should be a therapist or something. I think I know what my calling is for when Broadway stops working for me."
"You would make a good one. I wouldn't say soul mate. I just think my heart knew I wanted her from the moment I met her. It's taken me a while to figure it all out though. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now though. I'm getting married."
"You're supposed to help her get cleaned. I can give you the number of some places that will take good care of her. You can go visit a couple of times a month? It will all work out, Jess." Jesse gave his friend a small smile he hoped came off as appreciative. "Let's go see her." Jesse nodded and walked back towards his bedroom with Jake behind him. He slowly pushed the door open and let Jake walk in first. "She's asleep. That's good," Jake commented.
"If you say so," Jesse added without much conviction. "She got sick earlier." Jake nodded in thought before sitting on the bed beside her.
"She made it to the bathroom though, obviously. She hasn't started withdrawals yet. Not really anyway." Jesse had previously thought that much about it after reading what withdrawals could be like online. Rachel shifted uncomfortably before letting out a small whimper. "She's tough, huh?"
"So much tougher than I ever could be," Jesse replied in a whisper. "Why has everything been so hard for her? Who knows where she would be if things had worked out for her in the start?"
Jake nodded before scratching behind his ear. "Yeah, but you wouldn't know her if she hadn't been in the situation." Jesse sighed. This was true. He couldn't help but wish they had met under different circumstances though. He walked over to the bed beside Jake and looked down at the slumbering girl before pressing a small kiss to her cheek.
"Rach, are you awake?" She groaned and clutched at her sides before rolling over. "Come on, it's eight. Do you want some breakfast?"
"No," she forced out. He slid under the covers and pressed his body flush against hers. "You feel good," she mumbled. He smiled before pressing a kiss to her neck.
"Rachel, we need to go. You can eat some breakfast and then we're taking you to a place Jake found." Rachel immediately shot out of the bed and looked at Jesse. She looked sick, he noticed. Her usually tan skin was fairly pale. Her pupils were odd looking, to say the least. She was sweating regardless of the fact that it wasn't hot.
"Please, Jesse, no. You said Jake did it without help. I can't do this without you." He gave her a sad smile before standing up and walking over to the girl. "Please," she whispered. Jesse shook his head. "Why not?"
"Jake told me about how bad it gets, Rachel. I can't sit here and watch you hurt like that. I'll come visit you. We'll still be friends, I promise." She looked away. "Rachel, please, it'll be fine. You have to get better so you can start living your life again. Take Broadway by storm. You'll be amazing." He enveloped her in a hug and pressed a tender kiss to her temple. His phone rang from across the room. He dashed over to the dresser and picked it up upon seeing Jake's name. "Hey," he hastily answered.
"I've got the address. Meet me at my place." Jesse looked at Rachel warily before excusing himself from out of the bedroom.
"She doesn't want to go. She wants to stay here." Jake inhaled. Jesse waited patiently for Jake to say something. "Hello?"
"Then do it," he answered. "It isn't smart. It'll hurt like hell, but I can understand what she wants. I wanted it too."
"But why?"
"I thought that if I suffered enough then I would never want to pick up the stuff again. I messed up and I thought that all the pain I went through to get off would be sort of like penance. It was what I deserved." Jesse scratched his neck and sighed.
"Alright. Let me go talk to her then."
"Jesse, you'll have to be strong enough for the both of you." He was afraid of that much. He hung up the phone wordlessly and walked back into the room.
"Rachel," he whispered. The girl rolled over and looked at him before pulling the covers up over her body. He frowned when he saw the shakes that had overcome the girl but didn't ask about it. "You can stay." She gave him a faint smile. "On one condition: you have to promise me that you're going to be strong for me. You're going to kick this habit. Right?" She nodded. "I'm going to go make breakfast. I'd really like it if you ate some." She threw her head back into the pillow and groaned. Jesse nodded to himself before leaving the bedroom and walking back to the kitchen.
He pulled out various pots and pans. He knew how to make breakfast but it had been such a long time since he had done it. He usually just went to a local McDonald's or something equally fast food chain like and got something to eat. He went over to the refrigerator and pulled out some eggs and milk. His phone buzzed on the counter. He quickly set the items he had gotten out on the small table beside him and scurried over to his phone.
"Hello, Jesse," he frowned. Why hadn't he checked the caller ID before he answered?
"Jessica, how are you?"
"Great, let's go eat breakfast?"
"I can't," he responded while shuffling around the kitchen. "I'm busy," he added. She sighed in annoyance. "I'm sorry, Jessica."
"How can you be busy? I'm tired of this, Jesse. You're never around anymore. What has gotten into you?" He paid the girl on the line no attention as he cracked open some eggs. "Or should I ask who have you been getting into?"
"What?"
"Is it that skank you were having fake sex with the other day? Jesse, if you're cheating on me with her then we're going to have some serious problems."Jesse threw the phone across the room and continued making breakfast. Maybe Rachel wouldn't want any but it was the thought that counted. He heard Rachel calling his name from the back of his apartment. He immediately left everything he had been holding behind and ran towards his bedroom.
"I don't feel good." Just one look at her could tell him that. He walked over to the bed and crouched down. "I think I'm going to be sick," she murmured. He grabbed the trashcan he had set out the night before and pushed it in front of her. He closed his eyes in slight disgust before letting go of the can and climbing behind her. He held her hair back and whispered reassurances in her ear. She rolled back over and started to sob. "I hurt, Jesse."
"I know," he whispered. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that it was just the beginning. She quickly cuddled into his side, thankful for the warmth of his body.
"If Jessica wanted you to leave Broadway would you?" He didn't know where the question had come from. He supposed she might want something to try and distract her from the situation at hand.
"No. My love for Broadway encompasses my love for her," he admitted truthfully. "I would have to love something a whole lot for me to leave Broadway," he added.
"I don't think you'll ever love anything more than you love performing," she commented.
"I don't think I will either," he replied. "I think that if the day ever comes I realize I love something more than my job then I'll quit right on the spot." She laughed softly. "Get some rest, Rachel." She sighed into his chest before letting sleep overtake her.
He was losing his mind. He knew it. He was trying to take care of Rachel but every time he would come near she would yell at him and curse him. She was throwing up every other minute, shaking and sobbing. "I'll be back," he mumbled after hearing his door being beaten on. She simply yelled at him more as he exited the room. He wiped the tears off that had been dripping down his face before pulling the door open.
"Jesse, hey," Jessica whispered before stepping inside. A crash was heard from the back of his apartment. He quickly turned around and fidgeted nervously. He needed her to leave. She clearly wasn't going to. "What was that?"
"Rachel," he whispered. She bit her lip before poking him in the chest.
"What the hell, Jesse? She's here now?" He nodded. "Why?"
"She's living here for a little while," he answered somewhat honestly. He didn't feel like explaining the situation to her, nor was he going to. "I need you to leave, Jessica. This isn't a good time."
"You know what, Jesse? I'm so tired of this. She can't stay here. I have a right as your fiancée. She goes or I go, do you understand?" His jaw dropped.
"Fine, Jessica," he shouted. "Leave, we're done. The marriage is off. I hope you're happy with yourself," he yelled while pushing her out of the door. He quickly locked it and rushed back to Rachel. "Rachel, are you okay?" She moaned before emptying her stomach again into the trash. "I guess I need to replace the bag again," he mumbled to himself.
"Stay with me," she croaked. He nodded before climbing in the bed behind her. She was sticky with sweat and God knows what else, he realized, but he didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her and began to sing softly in her ear.
"I love you, Rachel," he whispered after he was fairly positive she had lost consciousness again.
